2014:628 - NAVAN WORKHOUSE GRAVEYARD FOOTPATH, OUR LADY’S HOSPITAL, NAVAN, Meath

Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, lies within the buildings and on the site of the Navan Poor Union Workhouse, which opened in 1842. The Workhouse itself was a
secondary development adjoining the Navan Fever Hospital, which opened in 1818 on
Brew’s Hill. The Workhouse Graveyard is approximately 1.7 acres (6879 sq m) and
lies to the rear of the surviving Workhouse buildings complex. The Graveyard is not a Recorded (archaeological) Site. The Workhouse buildings and the Graveyard have been surrounded by Hospital infrastructure. The Graveyard has car parks on the northern and eastern sides. The Navan to Kells railway (opened 1853) runs along the southern limit and the Navan to Kingscourt branch (opened 1875) runs beyond the western side. The Great Famine is generally dated 1845-1850, so the Navan Union Workhouse was in a prime position to cater for the 34,000 population in the Navan Poor Law Union. Of these 34,000 people, it was considered in 1841 that around one third (c. 11,300) were ‘The Poor’.
The surviving Workhouse Minute Books in Navan Local Studies Library show that
approximately 5,000 people (infants, juveniles and adults) are likely to be buried in this disused Graveyard. Burial occurred between 1842 (when the Workhouse opened) and 1924 (when the Workhouse became Our Lady’s Hospital). All burials were in unmarked graves, as was typical of pauper’s graves. This works out as approximately one burial per 1.37 sqm and implies that the Workhouse Cemetery is certainly not densely filled overall (a typical adult grave would be around 1 sq m with a child perhaps 0.6 sq m). A modern, limestone cross on a raised concrete base commemorates the present Graveyard, and two plaques have been recently added in memory of the dead. During the middle of the 20th century several amputated limbs from hospital surgical operations were buried in the northern part of the Graveyard (as opposed to being incinerated). Local knowledge indicates that no graves were found during these interments.
The Graveyard itself has been harrowed in modern times and the western half
appears to have been used to spread topsoil from adjacent developments. The Graveyard is grassed and surrounded by trees and shrubs. A boundary bank survives on the northern, western and southern sides. The 1837 First Edition OS pre-dates the construction of the Workhouse and shows empty fields on the site. The 1912 map shows the Graveyard incorporating an internal looped pathway. The 1939 map shows the Graveyard as ‘Disused’.
Our Lady’s Hospital proposed to construct a pathway (approximately 38m x 2m wide
with two benches to be built on concrete pads) from the existing car park to the placed cross. The path then encircled the cross. Excavations involved the removal of sod-turf only and no human remains were found. A selection of modern pottery, clay tobacco pipe, slate, brick, coal, square and round bottle glass and a butchered animal bone were noted. There was also a broken iron harrow spike.
Lime fertiliser chunks showed the area was tilled and improved fields prior to the Graveyard being laid out.

c/o Meath County Council